Hygge in the city

The Danish concept of ‘snug’ is at the heart of this kitchen, which draws inspiration from London and New York as well as Scandinavia

Having recently relocated from Denmark to London, Anella Rogaczewski knew the concept at the heart of her home country’s culture would play a central role in the design of her family’s new kitchen. The buzz word of the past couple of years – hygge – is now an idea we’re pretty familiar with here in the UK too. Although there’s no direct translation, it’s all about creating warm and sociable spaces to enjoy simple pleasures, an idea that has huge influence on the design of Danish homes.

‘The idea was to create a home where family and friends can meet and enjoy time together,’ explains Anella. ‘The big island in the kitchen is central to this. It’s great because you can have lots of people making food together, or you can just hang out in the bar and have a glass of wine while the host cooks.’ Working as an interior designer in Denmark gave Anella plenty of experience to draw on when taking on the redesign project in her own kitchen. ‘Although the kitchen was quite new before we bought the house, it definitely wasn’t our style. When I came here a year ago I had an idea that I wanted to create a room that celebrated London style and also used components from Danish and New York design. So I tried to put all those things together.’

The result is a striking space that not only blends London, New York and Danish design, but also creates a bridge between the outside and inside. ‘In Denmark we spend a lot of time indoors because of the weather,’ says Anella. ‘So I tried to make the kitchen an extension of the garden, and to bring the outdoors in. The tiles, for example, are the same in the garden as in the kitchen, as is the colour of the brick, which creates a seamless flow.’

Clever design features and personal touches all come together to make a space that not only embraces the idea of hygge and the family’s values, but a room that also oozing with personality and style. It may be a long way from Denmark, but Anella says she’s never felt more at home.